Carlos Israel Sanchez Villalba, 44, was fatally shot in the torso during a mass shooting at the Bite of Seattle food festival at Seattle Center on July 26, 2026. He died at the scene; two other people, 56-year-old Ashley Whitehead and 19-year-old Junior Cee Niko Semo, were also killed. Several others, including a two-year-old boy, were wounded but survived. Villalba is remembered as a devoted husband, a father of three and a loyal friend; his wife Sandra Frausto said he protected his family in his final moments.

Investigators described the incident as a violent exchange involving multiple people and believe it was gang-related. A 15-year-old male was arrested at the scene with a handgun and charged with first-degree assault with a firearm enhancement and second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm; prosecutors have moved to try him as an adult. Police recovered two guns at the scene and a third the next day, but have said the gun taken from the 15-year-old was not the weapon that killed Villalba or Whitehead. At least one suspect identified by investigators remains at large and the investigation is ongoing.

Did anyone at the festival see suspicious people or vehicles leaving the Seattle Center that evening?